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Condoleezza For President…2016

Condoleezza Rice has been missing action for the past three years. Setting aside her roles as secretary of state and national security adviser, Rice has settled into a comfortable space of teaching at Stanford University and for most part has stayed out of the limelight. That is until the 2012 National Republican Convention.

Was it just me or did Miss Rice kill her speech. After much anticipation and listening to lack luster speeches for two hours, Condoleeza takes the stage (Sweet Home Alabama playing in the background) and the crowd goes wild. Shouts and cheers erupt. They are chanting “I love you Condi!” and “Condi! Condi! Condi!”, while Rice humbly accepts their adoration and praise.

She grabs the attention of the audience immediately by recounting the events from 911. She is elegant and poised. She then goes on to assert the importance of America’s role regarding international affairs. This is obviously her plug. Her confidence is commanding. In fact, it is quite interesting to see the conservative crowd eating out of the palm of her hand.

More disturbing, why am I so captivated by what the former secretary of state is saying. It is not like she was supporting Obama. Quite the opposite actually. Though never coming out and directly saying it, Rice is displeased with Obama’s response to foreign policy and national security and assures the audience that Romney and Ryan will provide better leadership.

What I didn’t know was that Miss Rice had something up her sleave. A curve ball that I was not expecting. Even though Miss Rice repeatedly said that she was in support of the Romney/Ryan team, Condoleeza was speaking to an issue that I found very dear to me; education. According to the Washington Post, Condoleeza said:

Let me ask you, though, today, when I can look at your zip code and can tell whether you are going to get a good education – can I really say that it doesn’t matter where you came from – it matters where you are going. The crisis in K-12 education is a grave threat to who we are.

Who is this lady and where did she come from? In the midst of her republican rhetoric appeared this woman who was very concerned with the problems of the k-12 education system, the lack of resources and adequate teachers, and the disadvantages that many minorities face while trying to obtain an education in this country. It was democratic. And it was out of place. According to the Washington Post, Rice goes on to say:

My mom was a teacher – I have the greatest respect for the profession – we need great teachers – not poor or mediocre ones. We need to have high standards for our students – self-esteem comes from achievement not from lax standards and false praise. And we need to give parents greater choice – particularly poor parents whose kids – most often minorities are trapped in failing neighborhood schools. This is the civil rights struggle of our day.

Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What was Condoleezza’s motive for speaking at the GOP Convention this year? If you ask me, a may be a part of a larger agenda. Perhaps this speech is the beginning of the Rice take over. Or maybe I am reading to much into this.

Check out her full speech at the Washington Post and let me know your thoughts?